Florida Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart Statement on Díaz-Canel Announced Visit to the United Nations

Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) issued the following statement regarding Díaz-Canel’s announced visit to the United Nations (U.N.):

“I am appalled by the Biden Administration’s appeasement of dangerous adversaries and rewarding human rights abusers, this time by granting the special privilege of U.S. entry to Cuba’s Díaz-Canel, and the rest of his “delegation” of thugs, particularly after the expulsion of Cuban diplomat-spies over the past two decades from the missions in New York and Washington, D.C. for espionage. Regrettably, the U.N. continues to falter in its duty to protect human rights by allowing some of the worst human rights offenders to partake in critical discussions and even hold positions on the Human Rights Council. As someone entrusted with the leadership of the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee, I have repeatedly emphasized that I will support America’s friends, and oppose our enemies. For that reason, my bill deliberately excludes funds for the U.N.’s regular budget due to its rampant antisemitism, coddling of dictators, and failure to achieve its core purposes of promoting peace, international comity, and human rights. I am committed to safeguarding American national security interests and taxpayer dollars to defend our values. Once the U.N. takes itself seriously, then I will take it seriously. The U.N.’s continued predilection to amplify the messages of anti-American dictators and the world’s worst human rights abusers, such as Díaz-Canel, only confirms that my decision to defund it was a good one.”